Aphasia
—a communication disorder that can affect the ability to understand and express language

Speech
apraxia
—a speech disorder that affects the ability to make sounds, syllables, and words

Risk Factors

Factors that increase your chance of developing FAS include:

Being at high risk for stroke

Having aphasia or apraxia

Symptoms

Those with foreign accent syndrome speak in a distorted rhythm and tone, such as:

Making vowel sounds longer and lower such as changing English “yeah” to German “jah”

Changing sound quality by moving the tongue or jaw differently while speaking

Substituting words or using inappropriate words to describe something

Stringing sentences together the wrong way

If you have FAS, you may be able to speak easily and without
anxiety. Other people are able to understand you. The accent that you have adopted could be within the same language, such as American-English to British-English.

Symptoms can last for months, years, or may be permanent.

Diagnosis

You will be asked about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done paying particular attention to the muscles used in speech. A psychological evaluation may also be done to rule out psychiatric conditions.

All EBSCO Publishing proprietary, consumer health and medical information found on this site is accredited by URAC. URAC's Health Web Site Accreditation Program requires compliance with 53 rigorous standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audits. To send comments or feedback to our Editorial Team regarding the content please email us at
HLEditorialTeam@ebscohost.com.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.